Mail-transferring device.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

C. KREPS. MAIL TRANSFERRING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-20. 1905.

1 Li... V4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial No. 250,929-

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES KEEPS, a

- citizen of the United States, and a resident mail-transferring devices, and more particularly to a device adapted to take a mail-bag or the like from a suitable support or upright and at the same time to deliver a mailbag thereto from a rapidly-moving train or car.

Heretofore, while it has been usual to receive the mail from the post or upright by means of an apparatus carried upon the car, the local mail-bags have usually been thrown from the car, with the result of frequently damaging the contents. In many instances also, owing to the defects in the construction of the catching devices, the outgoing mailbag is not securely caught by the device carried on the'car and is knocked beneath the wheels, not only delaying the transmission, but frequently mutilating and destroying the mail.

The object of this inventionis to provide automatic means whereby a suitable device carried upon the car acts to deliver a bag therefrom to a like device secured on an upright or post positioned beside the track and at the same time receives the outgoing package from the post, delivering the same into the car.

The invention embraces many novel features; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a mail-car provided with a device embodying my invention, showing the same in position to engage a sack from the'post and to deliver a sack thereto. Fig.

2 is an enlarged horizontal section of the car, showing the construction of the mail-bag catcher in plan view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of a part -of the mechanism.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates a mail-car of the usual or any desired construction provided with a side doorway a in the usual manner and havin hinged at the side of the door an outward -directed arm B, having secured at its outer end at right angles therewith a bar I), which at its rear end is reduced in size to afford a short rod 1) to receive a loo or ring at the lower end of the mail-bag thereon and is provided with a spring 6 secured on said bar and which extends longitudinally therewith and acts to hold the ring of said bag from falling from the end of said rod. At the opposite end of said bar is pivotally engaged a transverse head B, having secured thereon and parallel with the face thereof a bar or guide b the ends of which are permanently secured in said head, as shown in Fig. 2, and between which and said head extend the outwardlydirected ends a of an annular spring-yoke C, which at its inner side is pivotally engaged upon said bar 1) adjacent the extremity of the arm B by means of a bolt 1), which extends through a lug or boss con said spring. As shown, the jaws c of the yoke are curved outwardly and adapted to receive the mailbag between the same and are integrally connected with the ends of said annular springyoke C, affording suflicient space between the inner end of said jaws c and the head B to receive the mail-bag therein.

Rigidly secured on the armB is an up-. wardly and outwardly directed arm B having rigidly secured on the outer end of the same a rearwardly-directed bar b the rear end of which is reduced in size to afiord a rod 1) to receive the upper ring of the mail-bag and over which engages a spring 6 as before described. Upon the rearwardly-directed ends of the bars 6 and b is engaged a mailbag X, by means of the rings or straps thereon, which engage over the reduced ends or rods 6 of said bars and which are held in position by means of said springs 19 thus supporting the bag in position to be engaged, while the yoke end or jaws 0 project forwardly in position to engage the bag X supported at the side of the track. As shown, said outgoing mail from the station is supported upon a post or column D, upon which is hinged the connected arms E E, corresponding with the arms B B and on the outer end of which or that adapted to be turned toward the track is a transverse bar 6, having on the end thereof directed rearwardly of the movement of the train a head E corresponding with the head B, as before described, on which are carried yoke ends or jaws affording a catching device correspond ing or identical in construction with those carried upon the car and having upon the forwardly-directed ends of the same a reduced end portion 0 and spring 6 adapted to, engage the rings at the ends of the mailbags, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower arm E is provided with a forwardly-directed arm e corresponding with the arm or bar If and likewise reduced at its end to afiord a portion 6, adapted to receive the lower ring of the bag, and with a spring 6 to hold the same in place.

The operation is as follows: The outgoing mail-bag having been secured upon the forwardly-directed ends of the bars a and a as shown in Fig. 1, and the device turned so that the catching-yoke is directed rearwardly of the passing train, and a corresponding mailbag having been secured upon the rearwardly-directed ends of the bars I) and b of the device carried upon the car, and the catching-yoke being directed forwardly and between the arms E and E upon the post, it will be seen that the yoke ends or jaws of the one engage the mail-bag carried upon the straight reduced end portion of the other, res ectively, in each instance receiving a bag an delivering a bag simultaneously, or, in other words, exchanging bags. After the exchange has been effected the device carried upon the car is swung inwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus carrying the same to a convenient position to receive the sack therefrom in the car. In a similar manner that secured upon the post D may be swung away from the track when not in use or when it is desired to secure a sack thereon or remove the sack therefrom.

Obviously, While I have described one form of construction embodied in my invention, I do not desire to limit this application for patent otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art, inasmuch as many details of construction and application may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In a mail catching and delivering device, arms engaged upon the sides of the car adjacent a door, transverse arms or bars at the outer ends thereof adapted to extend parallel with the car when swung outwardly, a forwardly-directed spring-yoke on one of said bars, rearwardly-directed means on each of the same adapted to support a mail-bag or the like in position to be engaged by a corresponding device adjacent the track and adapted to deliver a bag to said aws.

2. In a device of the class described, complemental means supported on the car and adjacent the track, comprising respectively, upper and lower longitudinal bars for supporting a mail-bag or the like in vertical position and oppositely-directed yokes having resilient sides and each adapted to engage and receive the bag supported upon the other.

3. A device of the class described, a hinged arm adapted to be swung parallel with the car, a forwardly-directed springyoke pivoted horizontally on one end thereof, a rearwardlydirected support on the other end and a complemental device adapted to be supported adjacent the track, each of said devices acting to receive from and to deliver to the other a package, thereby affording an exchange.

4. A catching-yoke for the purpose specified comprising a bar adapted to be support.- ed in engaging position, a transverse head at the end of said bar, an open annular spring projecting beyond the head and outwardlycurved jaws at the end of the said spring adapted to receive a mail-bag or the like between the same and a guard limiting the outward movement of the yoke arm or jaws.

5. In a device of the class described, a catching head comprising a bar, a transverse curved head thereon, oppositelydisposed leaf-springs pivoted on said bar and projecting slightly beyond the head and outwardlycurved jaws on the end of each spring acting to receive between the same, the articles tov be engaged.

6. In a device of the class described, complemental members adapted to be engaged upon a car and upon a post adjacent a track and each adapted to support a mail-bag or the like in position to be engaged by the other, resilient engaging jaws carried on each in position to engage the mail-bag each upon the other centrally, whereby said devices are adapted to effect exchange of packages each with the other during the passage of a train and means limiting the spreading movement of said jaws.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with upper and lower arms supported longitudinally of the car of a crosshead on one of said arms, a guide therein, a resilient yoke pivoted on said arm adjacent said head and projecting forwardly beneath said guide.

8. In a device of the class described the combination with a pair of longitudinal arms supported on a car and provided with rearwardlydirected reduced ends, a spring clamp adapted to coact with said reduced In testimony whereof I have hereunto afends to support a mail-bag in vertical posifixed my name in the presence of two subtion, a cross-head pivotally engaged at the opscribing Witnesses.

posite end of one of said arms and a resilient CHARLES KREPS. 5 yoke on said arm and head adapted to re- Witnesses: M

ceive a mail-bag from a similar device adja- O. W. HILLS,

cent the track. JAMES B. LmDERs. 

